Ozma of Oz by L. Frank Baum: Book Beginnings on Fridays, First Line Friday, The Friday 56, and Book Blogger Hop

Today's Featured Book 

Ozma of Oz by L. Frank Baum

Genre: Children's Fantasy

Published: July 30, 1907

Page Count: 272 pages

Summary: 

Readers of all ages will welcome the chance to be reunited with Dorothy Gale and such beloved characters as the Scarecrow, Tin Woodman, and Cowardly Lion, as well as to meet new favorites such as the Hungry Tiger, whose appetite is never satisfied; Princess Langwidere, who has thirty heads; Billina, a talking chicken; and Tiktok, a mechanical man.

 

BOOK BEGINNINGS ON FRIDAY is hosted by Rose City Reader. What book are you happy about reading this week? Please share the opening sentence (or so) on BOOK BEGINNINGS ON FRIDAY! Add the link to your blog or social media post and visit other blogs to see what others are reading.

Happy Friday and welcome to the FIRST LINE FRIDAY, hosted by Reading is My Superpower! It’s time to grab the book nearest to you and leave a comment with the first line.

...Now, among these passengers was a little Kansas girl named Dorothy Gale, who was going with her Uncle Henry to Australia, to visit some relatives they had never before seen. Uncle Henry, you must know, was not very well, because he had been working so hard on his Kansas farm that his health had given way and left him weak and nervous. So he left Aunt Em at home to watch after the hired men and to take care of the farm, while he traveled far away to Australia to visit his cousins and have a good rest.

THE FRIDAY 56 is hosted by Freda's Voice, but Freda is currently taking a break and Anne of Head Full of Books is filling in. To play, open a book and turn to page 56 (or 56% on your e-reader). Find a sentence or two and post them, along with the book title and author. Then link up on Freda's Voice and visit others in the linky. 

Just then the Nomes laughed again, and the sound was so weird and disheartening that the twenty-six officers commanded the private to "right-about-face!" and they all started to run as fast as they could. 

The Tin Woodman at once pursued his army and cried "halt!" and when they had stopped their flight he asked: "Where are you going?" 

"I—I find I've forgotten the brush for my whiskers," said a general, trembling with fear. "S-s-so we are g-going back after it!" 

"That is impossible," replied the Tin Woodman. "For the giant with the hammer would kill you all if you tried to pass him." 

"Oh! I'd forgotten the giant," said the general, turning pale. 

"You seem to forget a good many things," remarked the Tin Woodman. "I hope you won't forget that you are brave men." 

"Never!" cried the general, slapping his gold-embroidered chest. 

"Never!" cried all the other officers, indignantly slapping their chests. 

"For my part," said the private, meekly, "I must obey my officers; so when I am told to run, I run; and when I am told to fight, I fight." 

"That is right," agreed the Tin Woodman. "And now you must all come back to Ozma, and obey her orders. And if you try to run away again I will have her reduce all the twenty-six officers to privates, and make the private your general."

My Thoughts

I doubt if I would have ever read the Oz books if Lory at Entering the Enchanted Castle hadn't announced an Ozathon this year. I'm so glad she did. Baum seems to be exceptionally gifted at creating intriguing characters.

The purpose of THE BOOK BLOGGER HOP is to give bloggers a chance to follow other blogs, learn about new books, and befriend other bloggers. THE BOOK BLOGGER HOP is hosted by Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer.    

February 9th-15th - Do you post Happy Publication Day posts for books you read? (submitted by Elizabeth @ Silver's Review)

I'm afraid I don't know what Happy Publication Day posts are!